KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Hours after the Independence School Board voted to move to a 4-day school week, Kansas City’s mayor weighed in on the decision.
Mayor Quinton Lucas tweeted that he is concerned the decision is more about adults than the children in the district.
The Independence School District is the largest in the state of Missouri to move to a four-day learning model. While the district’s superintendent says the move will help it retain and hire teachers and staff, Lucas says he doesn’t believe the change is the way to go.
Independence is a wonderful community as are neighboring communities served by their schools, like Kansas City.
Salary increases and support are the best way to get teachers, not gimmicks.
MAYOR QUINTON LUCAS, KANSAS CITY, MO.
Lucas pointed to the fact that he grew up in a home similar to the ones many metro children are in now. He tweeted that his mother raised him while working hard every day. He says he knows how he spent his childhood and says he believes there is a better way to handle the issue.
What did you do during weekends growing up? For me with one parent who worked a lot (for low pay) and then had to take care of a home, I typically watched TV the entire time. Full stop. I shudder to think what adding another day of that each week for most of our kids will do.
MAYOR QUINTON LUCAS, KANSAS CITY, MO.
Lucas says Missouri had a $4.9 billion budget surplus this year. He believes some of the money should be used to pay teachers better while also improving the education system.
I have a sister who has raised and is raising six kids and is also a public school teacher. What she mentions to me about job satisfaction is not fewer days: it’s better support, less bureaucracy, teaching assistants, and, yes, salary.
MAYOR QUINTON LUCAS, KANSAS CITY, MO.
The Independence School District said it will provide childcare and made the cost as similar as possible to having students in school five days a week.
